


I Love You 3000

by yiriono



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Boyfriends, Canon, Fluff, M/M, Marriage, Marriage Proposal, based on that song, kinda cute, proposal, retired idols
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-10
Updated: 2019-07-10
Packaged: 2020-06-25 16:09:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19749175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yiriono/pseuds/yiriono
Summary: Taeyong had a feeling that Jaehyun, his boyfriend of 8 years, was going to propose.Based on the song by Stephanie Poetri





	I Love You 3000

**Author's Note:**

> Hey so I have no motivation to finish this but I wrote 10 pages of this already

Taeyong had a feeling that Jaehyun, his boyfriend of 8 years, was going to propose. 

The brunette had been acting off these days: making nonchalant comments about their married friends, binging ‘Say Yes to the Dress’, scattering photographs of white suits in a pinterest board... Something was up.

Maybe Taeyong was being irrational, but the thought of being engaged to Jaehyun made him ecstatic. On one hand, logic (Doyoung) was telling him, “You’re reading too much into this”. While his heart (Ten), affirmed all his suspicious and was one hundred percent ready for the ceremony and had already written seven lines of vows.

“Taeyong’s getting married” Ten squeals, whipping out his phone, promptly shoving the bright-lit screen in Taeyong’s face. 

The trio were sitting in a small cafe, a few blocks away from the SM building. The owner had decorated the interior to personify “serenity”: mocha brown walls with rustic lighting, soft cushioned seats near potted plants that complimented the smell of roast coffee and delicate pastries. It was, personally, one of Taeyong’s favourite places to relax and unwind. 

Back when Taeyong was a trainee, he and Jaehyn would come here, face masked and hood up, even in the summer heat. Surprisingly, no one questioned it, allowing the boys to enjoy each other’s company in private.

That was years ago. Now retired and in his early thirties, Taeyong was rarely approached or bothered for a photo. He sort of misses it: the vibrant hair, fans screaming his name, his heart pounding from the adrenaline of a loud concert crowd of thousands. 

NCT’s disbandment had been a surprise for everyone. 

The fanbase in Korea had always been weak, with most of their sales being international. Despite this, they were always stable, ranking midway on the charts, never relevant nor irrelevant. But that wasn’t enough for the company, and with their decision to launch a more… “distinctive” band, NCT soon became relics of the past: a distant memory, a faded poster behind ones of younger stars.

It wasn’t all that bad though. Some members went on to establish a powerful solo career-- Jaemin, nicknamed “Korea’s Shawn Mendes”, trended on twitter every photoshoot and album release.Taeil was always seen on television, giving heartwarming speeches as he accepted award after award for hid ballads. 

Taeyong decided to step out of the spotlight. Being an idol had taken a physical and emotional toll on him, and he was more than happy to embrace a new chapter of his life. Jaehyun had a similar idea at the time, and the two ended up getting an apartment together. 

At first, Taeyong was hesitant. He’d loved Jaehyun almost throughout their entire career. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to continue torturing himself with an unrequited crush. It took a drunken one night stand and a hangover riddled confession for him to realize the feeling was mutual. 

It had been years since they’ve stood in front of a camera, but it still wasn’t safe for them. If there was one thing Taeyong had learned as an idol, it’s that the press was always watching. 

Though they’d both come out to their parents’, he was scared the rest of the world wouldn’t be as accepting. 

Taeyong wants the world to know that Jaehyun was his. They still have to tiptoe in public, careful to not show affection that could be interpreted as “more than friends”. It hurts when he has to pull away from a possible kiss, or drop his boyfriend’s hand. It’s unfair. 

What he wants now, is stability. The kind you get from an official commitment to eternity. One that came in a little, A4 white paper, that reads “Marriage certificate”. 

Then, he’d be reassured that Jaehyun would stick by his side, even if Dispatch catches them on a date, even if the world turns on him, even if they have a huge argument. 

Today, the shop was fairly calm: other than them, there were only a few strangers scattered around, each of them lost in their little worlds. Or are they, he wonders. Taeyong cant distinguish between who’s tuned them out and who’s eavesdropping.

“Five signs your…boyfriend is….” Taeyong squints. “ planning to ...propose… Your text settings are really low.” 

“Wow, bad vision already? You're getting old.” Ten teases.

From the other side of the table, Doyoung prompty snatches the device, interrupting their banter. “Are you guys really going to keep talking about this” he scowls, “The past few days, I’ve been listening to you two nonstop. It’s gotten to the point where I hear Tens annoying squeal in my dreams.” 

Doyoung sticks out his chin as he makes an unflattering noise, mocking the thai. Which inturn, earns him a brash poke. 

“In my opinion, Tae you should drop it.” Doyoung continues, “What if you’re reading the signs wrong? What's the point of going to spend all this time fussing and worrying but he might not ask.

“Besides, Marriage is a big deal. ” Doyoung lifts the coffee mug to his lips, taking a sip of pure black, no sugar. “ What if Jaehyun doesn’t want to be tied down? No offense.”

Taeyong shuffles in his seat, uncomfortable at the possibility. He wants nothing more than to elevate their relationship from boyfriends to husbands. But what if Jaehyun didn’t feel the same? They’d never really talked about it, and the last thing Taeyong wants to do is pressure his partner into something he isn’t ready for.

“I guess”

Ten rolls his eyes, snatching the phone back. “Ignore him” He pauses, his eyes suddenly lighting up as a smile marches across his face. “Or maybe.. Jaehyun wants to surprise you, and Doyoung here is trying to throw you off guard.”

It sounded unreasonable. Really unreasonable. Something that you only see in dramas. 

Doyoungs eyes widen before he starts choking on his drink. Ten, still grinning, soothingly pats the man’s back. 

Suspicious. Taeyong can’t help but wonder. 

“Are you?” Taeyong asks, shooting Doyoung his best puppy face. The infamous aegyo that he only uses in emergencies when he absolutely needs something. And this was an emergency. 

“Of course not” Doyoung scoffs, reaching for a towel to wipe his mouth. 

Taeyong tilts his head, widens his eyes, and deepens his pout. 

“I said im not! I’m just being realistic here”

Ten chuckles before taking another sip of his tea. “Definitely”

\-------------------------------

Taeyong gets home and decides he absolutely needs to clean the house. It wasn’t really messy, he had always been meticulous in maintaining the ikea catalog aesthetic, but he needed to do something.

His nerves were just all over the place. 

He turns on the vacuum, and gets lost in the repetition. ‘I’m pretty sure he feels the same’ Taeyong thinks, ignoring the loud vrooms the device makes. 

Doyoung doesn’t know anything, right?

Their relationship was ready, right?

He silently curses the bunny. Taeyong can't help but feel insecure. Doyoung’s words have been etched into his mind, and are now writhing around, tainting any optimistic thought. It’s only been a few minutes of cleaning before the bedroom door creaks open. 

It’s Jaehyun. He’s yawning, hair spiked all over the place, wearing those hulk pajamas Taeyong gave him last christmas. 

“Why are you vacuuming the house at this hour”

Taeyong fumbles with the switch. 

“Sorry, did I wake you up?”

Jaehyun smiles that smile, the one where his dimple contrasts his milky skin, the one that sends butterflies straight to his stomach. “Answer my question Taeyongie”

That nickname. Jaehyun came up with it back in their pre debut days, when they still had 1 as the first digit of their age. Like some cheesy hollywood movie, the word triggers a wheel of memories that flash through his mind. 

Jaehyun asking him coyly to “Wait till the camera’s stop rolling” during NCT life. Causing Taeyong’s breath to hitch as he spanks the younger in retaliation. 

The night after the Limitless Inkigayo, where Taeyong falls asleep in the crook of Jaehyun’s neck, quietly noting how perfectly they fit. 

During the North American tour, where Taeyong’s rapping his verse in Angel while staring straight into the younger’s eyes. Jaehyun stares at him with such intensity, he shivers. 

When the news of disbandment hits, Jaehyun tightly squeezing his hand, silently messaging “I’m here for you”. Later that night, he cries in the younger’s arms, while Jaehyun soothingly massages his back.

Jaehyun offering a can of beer after a long day of unpacking into their new apartment, moments before drunkenly moaning Taeyong’s name.He notes how handsome Jaehyun looks with sweat glistening down his hairline. 

“You haven’t called me that in a while” Taeyong mutters. He can feel the familiar tinge of redness crawl up his neck. 

Jaehyun softly chuckles, “Maybe I should more often”

The brunette extends his arms, beckoning Taeyong for an embrace. Reluctantly, he does, cozying his head into Jaehyun’s broad chest.The familiar scent is calming, and Taeyong finds himself snuggling deeper, eager for more. 

“Jaehyun” Taeyong whispers. 

“Hmm” 

There are about a million things Taeyong wants to tell him. Make me yours. I love you so much. Be my husband. 

But the ghost of Doyoung’s words replay in his head. Unease ripples through his body, as anxiety starts to bubble in his stomach. The words form on the tip on his tongue, writhing to escape, before Taeyong decides to swallow them. 

“Nothing”

Jaehyun frowns as he gently dips away from Taeyong. “You always clean when you're stressed”. It’s an empirical statement, yet his tone is inquisitive, as if he’s trying to coax out an answer. 

Taeyong wonders where his confidence went. All those years he spent performing in front of millions, yet he can’t find the courage to ask the man he loves a simple question. 

Jaehyun’s eyebrows scrunch together with worry. 

“It’s nothing, really. Let’s go to bed”

He turns his back to the other, before hurrying into the room.  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For their anniversary, Jaehyun decides to take him to Thanos, a modern french restaurant nestled in the heart of the city. 

Taeyong eyes almost double in size when he pushes open the glass door, ignoring the ring the bell makes. 

At best, the place is eccentric. The purple walls are plastered over with rainbow gemstones, in no pattern really, while a gold accent decorates the edges. The ground is equally as confusing: with matching purple and gold checkered tiles. 

But what really catches his eye, is the heap of red resting in the corner of the restaurant. 

“That’s a lot of roses” Taeyong points, as he settles into his seat. 

Jaehyun, sitting across from him, turns to look. 

Even in this setting, all Jaehyun’s features are nicely complimented. His slightly aged eyes still full of spark, his lips still so smooth and so welcoming, and his lashes cast translucent shadows on his pale skin, making him seem ever so handsome. 

Despite ageing almost a decade, Jaehyun looks identical to his idol self.

“I think that guy over there is going to propose” the waiter chimes in, pointing towards the table to their right. 

A man is fidgeting with his sleeve as he paces around in small circles. 

Taeyong turns to Jaehyun, hoping the mention of proposing elicits some reaction. He gets nothing, as Jaehyun calmly notes “He looks nervous”.

“Yeah” The waiter grimaces “ The thing is, he's been waiting for a while but his girlfriend hasn’t shown up yet” 

“Poor guy” 

“Mhm”

A heavy silence fills the air, making Taeyong feel slightly uncomfortable. He glances over at Jaehyun, who has this strange but unreadable expression. Taeyong doesn’t know what to make of it. 

“So are you guys ready to order” The waiter asks, punctuating the tension. 

The mood returns when they get their food. They’re making idle small talk when Jaehyun says something that makes Taeyong completely stop. 

“I want to ask you something” 

Jaehyun’s reaching into his pocket simultaneously. 

Oh my god it’s happening.

Taeyong can feel his heart expanding, beating against his chest, in rapid accelerations. Excitement travels up his skin, causing his entire body to shake slightly. 

He knew it. Take that Doyoung.

“Will you-” Jaehyun begins

Taeyong doesn’t let him finish. Instead reaching across the table to grasp the younger’s spare hand, squeezing hard, hoping it would translate the whirlwind of emotions manifesting inside. 

He curls forward, reaching within to catch his breath, before answering a loud, eager, “Yes!”

A few heads turn their direction, notably the man sitting to the right who looks like he’s about to combust. But Taeyong doesn’t care, it was happening. He feels like flying, no soaring. He wants to jump up and down until his legs give way. He wants to-

“Did Doyoung tell you or something” Jaehyun chuckles, pulling out two pieces of paper in place of the black box Taeyong’s expecting. 

His mind goes blank as a lull washes over. 

“Well this is sorta anti-climatic” Jaehyun says, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, “Will you be free on Friday to watch Endgame together?”

Taeyong can feel his demeanor falter. 

“I know how much you liked Infinity War so I was hoping we could go together” the brunette continues, casually letting go of Taeyong’s hand to slide the paper across the table. “Happy Anniversary”

“What is that” he asks, voice a little sharper than intended, as he points to whatever Jaehyun was giving him. It’s all he can afford, because his throat begins to clog and tears are starting to pool. 

Jaehyun raises his eyebrows, “Movie tickets. I thought you knew already by your reaction..”

The dam breaks, and waterfalls are literally streaming out his eyes. 

“Woah why are you crying” Jaehyun asks alarmed, rushing over to Taeyong’s side. He runs his big hands across the older’s back in rhythmic, soothing, motions. 

Taeyong’s body continues to shake, not out of excitement this time, as he fights hard to stop his sniffling. 

Marriage could keep him by his side forever. 

Taeyong does his best to smooth out any signs of frustration, before managing to a quick response “I’m just really happy”

Really unhappy. From the corner of his eye, he spots the man to their right offer a sympathetic grimace. 

\----------------------------------------------------------

“So Jaehyun tells me you cried over Endgame tickets” Johnny asks, distracted by the colours flashing across the screen. “It’s an overrated movie please tell me that's not the real reason.”

Today was not just tuesday, it was talking tuesday. A tradition where Taeil, Johnny, Mark and Taeyong gather to vent about life’s injustices and give shitty advice. During the Cherry Bomb era Mark was going through a rough time, as he was promoting in 3 subunits. So the three sat him down and forced the younger boy to talk. 

Eventually it just stuck, and they’ve been hosting weekly meetings without fail. Taeyong really looks forward to them. Yes, it’s a healthy way for him to unwind, but more so he’s excited to see the group again. 

Since the disbandment, it’s been hard keeping in touch with everyone. He gets a text here and there asking about his health, or sometimes they have a mini reunion. But most of the time, he’s seeing the members through a TV screen. It’s exciting, for sure, that his friends were achieving their dreams, but it’s also incredibly lonely. 

He misses being cramped together in a dorm room. He misses the dreamies’s stupid antics. He misses Way V’s terrible korean. 

He misses NCT.

Taeyong sighs as he free falls onto the couch, turning midair to land on his back. “Of course not”

Taeil, who is on the ground silently watching Mark and Johnny face off in Mario Kart, reaches over to clasp his hand. 

“Are you and Jaehyun good?” The older asks, genuine concern entwined with his words. 

The animated sounds of Donkey Kong and Toad can be heard in the background, as Mark and Johnny bickering over who “really won that round”. It takes a moment for Taeyong to muster an answer, a pause too long, too suspicious. 

“Fantastic”

The older narrows his eyes once again, probing Taeyong to share more. 

He sighs,directing his eyes to the wall. Suddenly, the red and blue wallpaper seems very interesting. Or maybe he’s just trying to avoid Taeil’s inquisitive stare. “Okay maybe something happened.”

Johnny turns of the TV, causing Mark to whine with disappointment before receiving a non verbal cue from the older to shut up. 

“Tae, you know you can tell us right?” Johnny reassures, as the two move closer, forming a circle around Taeyong.

Taeyong nods, still staring at the ceiling. After the incident yesterday, Taeyong seemed to forget how to act around his boyfriend. Awkwardness hovers over his actions, and even Jaehyun, the densest man alive, has noticed something’s up.

But, Taeyong can’t help it. The tentative future is weighing down his heart, and he doesn’t know what to do.

“He..” Taeyong begins, nervously fiddling with the hem of his shirt “I thought he was going to propose”.

The words come out more as a whimper, and Taeyong feels so weak. Maybe Doyoung was right.

“Aw Tae” Taeil mutters, sliding their fingers together.Taeyong finds it in him to look at everyone, only revealing kind glances and a confused Mark. 

“Wait I thought Jaehyun hyung is-” 

Johnny suddenly wrings his arms around Mark, trapping him in a chokehold, causing the younger to yelp in surprise, ending his sentence prematurely.

“What are you-” Mark tries extricating himself from Johnny’s grip. 

Johnny, with a grim smile plastered, continues to hold Mark down despite the squirming. “Shut the fuck up Mark” he hisses.

Weird.

Taeyong frowns, narrowing his eyes at the two. “Jaehyun hyung is…?” he asks, encouraging Mark to continue.

But before the blonde could open his mouth again, Taeil lifts his hand to muffle the boy. 

“Ignore Mark please he’s an idiot” he says, attempting to keep his voice neutral. But it comes out forced, like he’s gritting his teeth. 

Mark stops struggling and accepts defeat, as Johnny continues his hold. 

“Taeyong” Johnny says, suddenly voice full of warmth, “ You’re an amazing guy, and Jaehyun loves you. Give it time okay? It might not happen today, tomorrow, or this week, but there’s no use rushing your relationship.” To this, Taeil nods his head feverently, reaffirming Johnny’s words. 

“It’s just” Taeyong says, tone laced with worry, “I want forever you know. I want to hold him down for infinity. I talked to Ten and Doyoung and it really seemed like he was going to ask. But yesterday at dinner, It was the perfect time but he let the moment pass. And I’m left thinking, if he didn’t do it yesterday, will he ever?”

Mark bites his lip, as if he wants to say something. It almost goes unnoticed, but Taeyong sees Johnny lightly pinch the blonde, essentially silencing him. 

“The time will come. It’s just not now” Taeil assures.

“Right”

**Author's Note:**

> I got really frustrated writing this because I hated everything. I rewrote half of these scenes ugh


End file.
